Boston Overhauls Admissions to Exclusive Exam Schools

A new policy will increase representation of Black and Latino students in the prestigious public schools, which serve as a gateway to elite colleges.

BOSTON — Long into the night on Wednesday, parents and students waited in line to say their piece about Boston Latin School and who deserves to attend it. Shirley Chang Wen said she arrived in this country without speaking English, and believed in raising children to work hard and succeed. Why, she asked, shouldn’t they get a spot? Julia Mejia, a Latina city councilor, said she spent her school years working at a shoe store to help her mother pay the rent, without a spare minute for test preparation. What about students like her?